Formwork elements of the kind, specified above provide a wide spectrum of different applications in the construction industry, which can vary from the conventional house building over civil engineering to special underwater buildings. The formwork elements are exposed to distinctive mechanical, chemical and environmental influences such as wind, water, ice, heat etc., which sets high demands on the used materials.
By the variety of different formwork elements required by a complex building project, the planning and accurate controlling of the required elements gains an enormous importance. Especially in the planning phase of the building projects, an exact determination of material requirement of the used formwork elements is an essential part of the complete building design. Beyond that, some formwork elements will be used a couple of times in various building phases, in order to delimit the costs for materials. Therefore, in the area of logistics and building design, a clear identification of a specific system component is of crucial importance, since significant problems can occure due to wrong deliveries or incorrect installation of the different formwork elements, which can affect time- and cost planning unfavorable.
Many companies are anxious about obtaining precise knowledge in a very early stage of the building design phase about which structural elements at which time at which place has to be built in, in order to be able to react accordingly, already at the delivery of the formwork element. Moreover it is of advantage regarding the partially available stockyard on construction sites, to already incorporate at the storage of the formwork elements, the later use in the construction phases into the stock management planning.
Also, a key aspect in connection with the identification of formwork elements represents the theft protection. Here the problem of deliberate destruction of distinguishing features have an effect, which makes it extremely difficult for companies to claim property rights, during insolvency proceedings for example.
In order to meet the requirements of the construction industry, the state of the art provide different possibilities, which refer to specific components of a formwork element, such as a frame element, panels, or formwork beams for example and which makes identification possible.
In the following, formwork elements are divided into two categories. First of all, into the category of the framed formwork elements, consisting of a formwork board which is arranged in, onto or on the frame element, which is also named as frame formwork and into a second category, the so called formwork beams, which comprises a panel or a carcass- or grid construction consisting of panels with a top- and bottom chord.
High demands regarding the static stress are made to a formwork element and beyond that, the formwork panel should be also good nailable and screwable in order to be able to fasten for example different support parts such as block outs for doors or windows to the formwork panel.
The formwork panels described in EP 1,426,525 A1 shows a panel shaped core, a front and rear side as well as a layer from wood-flour-filled polypropylene (HMPP), which are printed, or is provided with a printed laminate layer, in particular with a printed on polyolefin film. These can be provided with information concerning manufacturers, manufacturing date, etc. or other references, as well as be printed with a special design, which increases the recognition value.
The EP 1,273,738 A2 also describes a formwork element that exhibits a panel shaped carrier, which is covered with a foil on at least one side. This can be printed or pasted likewise and thus an identification of such formwork elements is made possible.
A formwork beam as a further possible embodiment of a formwork element is described in the WO 2004/072408. This state of the art shows a formwork beam, which provides an improved insusceptible to shock due to its special embodiment in the front areas of the carrier.
Also here the components can be printed variously, pasted, to seal with leads, labeled, etc. so that a visible identification is possible. In order to fulfill the high mechanical, chemical or weather-related requirements of such identification means, also signs of most diverse materials are fasten onto, e.g. riveted, pasted, screwed, etc.
Already during the planning phase of building projects, at manufacturers and suppliers of such formwork elements these are increasingly rented, so that the renter get a tailored and functioning number of suitable formwork elements at his disposal. During renting of such elements, deliberate destroying, respectively intentional removing as well as unrecognizable making of the above mentioned identification means is hardly to prevent and represents a large risk potential for the lesser.
However, even at the appropriate use of such formwork elements, they can be damaged or made useless by the everyday use in a harsh building site, like cleaning with high pressure water cleaner, or staining with concrete, dirt, dust, ice. etc., as well as impacts by adjusting or releasing of connecting elements.
A frequently occurring problem is additionally that in many building projects inventory formwork elements as well as rented formwork elements are often used together. Many enterprises have a basic assortment of formwork elements and rent appropriate elements in addition for special requirement. The explicit identification of the inventory elements as well as the rented elements, at an inventory for example, it therefore also becomes a great importance.